Unless otherwise indicated herein, the description in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Some typical electronic devices include a multi-core processor with a plurality of cores (operator) ensuring parallel process. The multi-core processor is widely applied not only to an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer but also to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a multi-functional peripheral including a copying machine and a printer.
The typical image forming apparatus includes a panel display unit that executes an operation such as display of an operating state. A panel controller system for the control and a main controller system for controlling image formation are assigned to different cores in the multi-core processor.
In this typical image forming apparatus, access to a memory is similarly configured as a single-core processor.
For example, data used in the panel controller system and the main controller system are held in one flash memory. A plurality of cores access the flash memory via one memory controller.
In this case, from the aspect of processing efficiency, an exclusive control is required in access from the plurality of cores to the flash memory.
However, when accessing one flash memory via one memory controller, the plurality of cores cannot simultaneously access the flash memory. Therefore, an ordinary exclusive control cannot be applied as it is.
To solve this problem, there is one technique where an exclusive control among a plurality of CPUs needs not to be considered when executing deletion operation of a non-volatile memory by simple control.
However, this technique requires a plurality of flash memories and a plurality of memory controllers; therefore, there are problems of cost increase and complication of structure.